A dangerous criminal who was jailed for trying to drown and electrocute a man was released only to go on and rob two pensioners at knife point.

Jason Scott Roberts had been treated for a personality disorder before being released from prison last November after a parole board hearing,

He was on life licence for attempted murder after he attacked a man, held him prisoner, slashed him and tried to kill him by drowning him and attempting to electrocute him with an electric fan in the bath.

Jason Scott Roberts (Image: North Wales Police)

In July this year, Roberts went to the house of an man in his 70s and asked him if he could borrow some sugar, saying he lived nearby.

But he then brandished a 12-inch kitchen knife and demanded money from the pensioner.

The old man bravely fought for his life and pushed him against a wall, suffering cuts to his hand.

Roberts, of Wrexham, fled with the couple’s TV and pawned it so he could carry on drinking.

And within an hour, he targeted an elderly woman on crutches in a graveyard at St Giles Church in Wrexham.

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He followed her, grabbing her handbag and making off with £100 in cash.

Mold crown court heard that following some “good police work” he was found in the beer garden of The Old Swan pub, where he gave a false name.

The handbag was found in the toilets of The Cross Foxes.

In a full confession he said that he got drunk and committed both offences to get money.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that the victim attacked in his home acted “with remarkable and commendable courage”, but the court heard that the elderly woman had said she feared she could never go out alone again.

She was in Wrexham as a visitor, thinking about moving to the town.

The court heard Roberts, of Bryn Offa, was “chillingly calm” during the offences.

Interviewed by police, Roberts said that he had drunk 12 pints before returning home and deciding that he needed to out to get more money for alcohol.

He was “a high risk of causing serious harm” to others.

Defending barrister Henry Hills said his client indicated guilty pleas at his first appearance at the magistrates’ court, took responsibility and demonstrated remorse.

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He was subject to life licence, was released in November and during his period of custody had been diagnosed with a dangerous, severe personality disorder for which he received intensive specialist therapy over a number of years.

He had developed a significant insight into his predicament about the way he thought and behaved which presumably allowed the Parole Board to make a decision that he could be released back into the community.

But he had not developed coping methods to deal with everyday life on his release. He did not want to be seen as a failure and that prevented him from disclosing the nature of his personal and social problems.

“It led ultimately to this crisis situation and he responded as he did,” said Mr Hills. “His life is in a real mess and he understand that.”

He was jailed for 10 years.

Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Mark Hughes at Wrexham CID said: "Those who resort to violence upon vulnerable people must realise there is a serious consequence.

"Roberts committed two heinous acts upon elderly and vulnerable victims and I hope this significant sentence will bring a degree of justice to them and a sense of relief to the community that he is now behind bars for a long time.

"Violent behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities but when it does occur we will find, arrest and prosecute the offenders and they go to prison."